A Curse and a Blessing
by Psychic Prince
Summary: Peach has been living in a tent secretly since her mother passed away. When she is taken into her classmate, Marth's, home, she discovers a secret about his family that nobody should ever find out. The members of the family could turn into animals of the zodiac! But this is a terrible curse, and it comes with the price of hurt and terrible heartache. Based off of Fruits Basket.
1. The Beginning

**Hello! This is based off of my favorite anime, _Fruits Basket_! Of course, I don't even own the idea... Or SSBB... Anyhow, this story takes place in Japan, but they speak in English, so you folks will understand. Got it? Ah, and if you're still confused afterwards, I'll explain some stuff afterwards, got it? Also, I changed the character's last names so that they are either related or have different last names. Enjoy!**

"Mother! The sky has cleared up completely!" A young girl with long, golden hair gazed up at the clear blue sky, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. She wore a navy blue school uniform that somewhat resembled a sailor's outfit. "Please watch over things today, okay?" She crouched down and peered into the orange tent. Supplies littered the surrounding area, and a photograph of a smiling woman was propped up in the center. Standing back up, she called, "I'm off!"

_Pleasure to meet you. My name is Peach Onkei. In the May of this year, my mother, who'd been raising me all alone, was killed in a car accident. As a result, I've been living alone in a tent. I can't say that it's easy, but that's okay. No matter how hard the times, I will not be discouraged!_

Peach continued walking. School would start soon if she didn't walk fast enough. However, she became distracted by a house. It was quite lovely; a Japanese-style home with sliding doors, the rice paper window coverings, and with wood making up most of the house. She approached it cautiously, entranced.

_Mother, I've discovered that a home is here, in the forest! It appears to have a relaxed feeling to it..._

She noticed twelve small, smooth, and round stones, lying on the front porch, drying. Each one had a different animal of the Chinese zodiac painted on them.

_The twelve animals of the zodiac! How cute!_

"Huh? How can it be that there is a girl here?" An easy-going voice jolted Peach from her thoughts.

The man standing in front of her had straight, blond hair and warm blue eyes. He wore something that appeared to be a green traditional Japanese robe. In his hands, he held a newspaper.

"P-Pardon me! Forgive me for not asking to look first!"Peach cried, scrambling backwards.

"Go ahead, go ahead. They're just drying in the sun, after all. However... They couldn't be _that _interesting for such a young person like you to look at."

"No, not at all! They are very cute,"Peach replied honestly.

The man grinned. "Really? In that case, I'm quite happy. I'm pleased with how they turned out."

"Just as I thought, there is no cat, I see." Peach gazed down at the other animals as she conversed with the man.

He went on his knees and observed his creations. "Cat? Ah. I'm assuming that you're referring to the cat in the zodiac fable, yes?"

"Yes." She looked up at him. "My mother told the stories to me often."

_A long time ago, God told the animals, "I invite you to come to the banquet that I shall hold tomorrow. Please make sure not to be late."_

_Upon hearing this, the rat, who liked to play tricks, visited the cat, who lived nearby, saying that the banquet was actually the day after next._

_The next day, the rat rode on top of the ox's back before the banquet hall, where he lightly jumped down. After him, the ox, tiger, and so on followed. The banquet was indeed delightful, and lasted until the morning._

_Only the cat, who'd been tricked, was left out._

When she was younger, Peach had cried and felt sorry for the cat, vowing that she would give up being a Dog and be a Cat instead.

"Really?" The man mused, half to himself. "I wonder what kind of face he would make if he heard that..."

"He?"Peach inquired, confused.

"You are year of the Dog then? As you see, I'm a Dog too,"the man said, leaning towards her.

Out of nowhere, a backpack appeared over the top of his head and fell on top of him with a thud.

"What are you flirting around here for?" An exasperated voice sounded. The voice was soft and melodic, and through hearing only, Peach thought that it had been a girl that struck the man over the head with the backpack.

However, instead of a girl, there stood a boy about her age, smiling gently at her with his blue eyes. His neat hair nearly reached his chin, and was so black, it appeared blue. He had a slim body, with long legs and a small waist, very much like a girl. He was dressed in a black and white school uniform with a neat white tie.

"Are you okay, Peach-san? My cousin didn't do anything... Impolite, correct?"

"N-Noroi-kun!"Peach gasped.

_Mother, it doesn't seem real! It's Noroi-kun! The prince of my school, Marth Noroi, is standing right here before me! Then this is his house..._

"That's quite a heavy bag you've got there,"the man, Marth's cousin, grunted, rubbing his head in the place where Marth had struck him. "Do you have a dictionary or something in there?"

"Yeah, two of them."

Marth's cousin turned to Peach. "So you're Marth-kun's classmate, huh? I'll start from the top; My name is Link Noroi, Marth-kun's cousin." He waved a hand in greeting.

"Ah, Peach Onkei,"she said, introducing herself.

"Peach-san, what brings you to this area?"Marth asked, turning to her.

"Um, my house is, er, near."

"Near to here?"

"Y-Yes. Well, I should be going-" Peach turned to leave.

"Ah, Peach-san! Since you're already here, shall we go to school together?"Marth asked earnestly.

…

"Peach-san! What was all _that _about?!"

Three girls stood menacingly in front of Peach, their chins raised in superiority. It was the "Prince Marth Club", made up of girls who were rather desperately in love with Marth. Over half of the school's girls were in this club. The feminine, blue-haired boy was quite popular among the girls.

"How is it that you came to school with him?"

"I-It was a coincidence..."Peach murmured.

"There isn't a girl student around S.S.B.B. High School that doesn't know how he's so attractive, clear-minded, academic and athletic!"

"And yet he will not let us go near him!"

"Hey." A rough-looking girl with long blond hair glared down at the three girls interrogating Peach. "If Peach says it's a coincidence, then it's a coincidence, got it?"

The girls scrambled back in a defensive line. "You think you can scare us?"they shouted in unison.

Another girl with brown hair that was pulled back into a thick braid appeared behind the other girl. "Perhaps I will curse you with harmful vibes..."

The three girls let out strangled screeches and scrambled away.

"Samus-san! Zelda-san! You saved me..." Peach smiled at her best friends.

"My, my, Peach! Are you alright?"Samus crooned, pulling Peach into a hug. "Zelda, don't seriously send out any vibes."

…

"Noroi-kun is overly attractive... Just having him standing next to me makes me nervous. I couldn't make any conversation with him worth calling a conversation anyhow..." Peach smiled with a helpless expression on her face.

"Marth-kun has... Unusual vibes,"Zelda murmured in Home Economics, spooning rice into a bowl.

Peach smiled nervously. "Vibes?"

"Well, he certainly is strange. I hear he doesn't talk much about himself,"Samus mused, running her fingers through her long hair. "There was this second-year girl who declared her love for him, and rushed to embrace him. He pushed her away as hard as he possibly could and looked terrified himself."

"Odd for a boy to do that,"Zelda murmured, giving a bowl of rice to Peach.

"T-Thank you!" Peach took the bowl of rice gratefully.

"Are you going to work today? You're staying at your grandpa's house on your dad's side, right?" Samus gazed at Peach with a raised eyebrow. "You're paying for your own school tuition too, right?"

"Yes."

"Strange. I wouldn't think you need to work so hard just to pay tuition." Zelda held another bowl of rice so that she was at eye-level with it.

Peach just shook her head nervously.

_I couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell them that I was living it a tent. My mother worked so hard after my father passed away to support me. My mother, who was so cheerful and powerful... I never thought that she'd die in a car accident... There was a small amount of arguing about who would care for me... But eventually, it was decided that I would stay with my grandfather on my dad's side. I'd promised to pay for my own tuition, as not to burden my grandfather. Not too long after, however, my grandfather decided to live with his daughter and her husband, and as it happened, their house needed remodeling. He asked me if I could stay with one of my friends during that time. Samus-san lives in a one-room apartment. Zelda-san lives in a family of five. I couldn't possibly burden them with my troubles... I was going to live by myself at one point anyways. This would be a good chance!_

…

Peach was walking through the halls when she came across Marth, who just closed his locker at the end of school.

"Noroi-san! About this morning... I beg your pardon."

"The same goes even more for me. My cousin must've given you plenty of trouble." It seemed as if Marth never spoke above a murmur.

"No, he is a very fine person. He let me see his zodiac ornaments."

They walked back from school together, Marth leading the way.

"Ah. You said something about being of the year of the Cat, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes, I-"

Marth stopped in front of Peach, his back turned towards her. "Cats are fools. They have such a bad nature."

Peach stepped back, surprised.

"Ever since the beginning of time, there was never a time where the Cat had been part of the zodiac. Still, since it _has _been associated with the zodiac, whatever others may say, goes." Marth never once looked back at her while saying so. "Cats really are fools, you know."

"So... Do you hate cats, Noroi-san?"

The blue-haired boy turned around, fallen leaves twirling about him. He caught one delicately in front of Peach's nose, holding it there. They were only a foot away from each other now, with Marth gently looking at her. Peach felt a slight blush come to her face.

"I was thinking this morning. Your color doesn't look too good. Perhaps you should take better care of yourself." He let his hand drop, and the leaf disappeared in the gust. With that, Marth slowly walked away, calling over his shoulder, "Well, see you tomorrow."

Peach watched him disappear.

_He really is mysterious. Even so, Noroi-san, I'll pretend that I didn't hear that. I need to work, and I'm sure that Mother had it much, much, harder._

…

She stood in front of a window in a work building, gazing at the stars.

"Ladies! Hurry up and take the garbage out of here!"a businessman complained, running it over accidentally with a door.

"Yes, sir!"Peach cried, leaping up and taking the trash.

_I can't get discouraged! Never give up!_

Peach scrambled around the office building, while the other cleaners gaped in shock. They must've been wondering how a girl so young could have so much energy just for cleaning.

…

Marth and Link walked through the forest, towards their home.

"Ah, I'm tired of eating out,"Link complained to Marth.

"Well, Link, you cook something then."

"You always complain when I cook."

"If there are pickled radishes in the curry, you bet I'm going to complain."

"Marth-kun, you're a smart one, yet you're hopeless when it comes to housework. Why don't we hire a housekeeper?"Link mused.

"A woman in the house would be trouble."

Marth stopped when he noticed an orange tent sitting at the foot of a hill. He saw Peach crouch down, peeking her head in.

"I'm back, Mother. Yes, I'm awfully tired, but I still have to do these printouts today. I'll go wash my face in the stream first." She exited the tent on her knees, holding a cloth. "Ah!"

Link and Marth stood before her, shocked expressions on their faces. Marth appeared genuinely surprised, but Link's face appeared twisted. He started to laugh hysterically.

Peach's face was flushed as she stared up at the laughing man.

Marth glared at his cousin. "Link, you're laughing too much."

…

Link was still chortling even when they'd arrived at their home. He sat at a traditional Japanese table with Marth on his left and Peach across from them.

"I see. So that's why you're living in a tent." Peach looked down as Marth spoke. She'd just explained to them why she was living in a tent. "Since when?"

"S-Since one week ago..."

"I thought it was strange. This whole area is Noroi land, and yet none of it has been leased or sold."

"Please let me stay there for the moment. Once the remodeling is complete, I will move out immediately!"Peach pleaded, "I don't have much money, but I will surely repay you!"

Link came to. "It's dangerous over there. The dirt is loose around those cliffs. And it's unreasonable to have a girl stay over there by herself for so many months, right?"

"Have you finished laughing?"Marth asked sarcastically.

"Mm."

"That's okay! I've gotten used to all the dirt and slugs, and I have plenty of stamina and drive-"Peach cried, only to trail off and collapse on the floor.

"Peach-san!" Marth leaped up and let his hand hover over her face. "She has a fever."

"Lets see! Ice, ice..." Link opened the door to their kitchen, only to see its horrid messiness.

"I-It's the Sea of Corruption..."Peach murmured, staring at it in wonder.

Link grinned and held up a finger. "That's a good analogy!"

A dog howled in the distance, and Link perked up.

"There. A landslide just occurred somewhere near here... It could be Peach-kun's tent... Or not!"

…

The tent lay crumpled underneath a large pile of dirt, looking very sad indeed.

"T-This is terrible! M-Mother was-"Peach cried, and started an attempt to move the dirt away.

"Peach-san, calm down! You have a fever!" Marth appeared at her side in an instant, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to stop her digging.

"B-But Mother's picture is in there! If I don't get her out, she will suffer!"Peach moaned, sprawled out on top of the dirt.

"Once it gets brighter, we will come here again,"Link promised, "It would hurt your mother even more if you got hurt yourself. Okay?"

…

"Marth-kun is looking for some ice now,"Link told Peach. She was lying down on the floor, sleeping on a mattress and underneath a thick blanket.

"But this is no time... To be outdone... By a fever..."Peach murmured, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Link sat next to Peach, gazing sympathetically at her.

"Terrific, huh?" Marth emerged from the shadows, staring down at the ice pack in his hands. "She'd always been so cheerful at school." He paused before saying, "I had once planned to run away from the House of Noroi, too. And yet here I am, still among the Noroi. If I really didn't like it, I would've ran away and lived in a tent, as Peach-san did. I've had it easy, haven't I?"

"It would be a bit rude to Peach-kun to call it 'terrific',"Link mused after a moment of consideration.

They both glanced over at the sleeping girl with cheeks flushed from fever.

"I suppose so,"Marth murmured in a low tone, a slight smile dancing across his lips. "Can I leave her to you? I'm going out."

"Where? Don't tell me you're going to dig all of that stuff out by yourself,"Link stared at Marth over his shoulder as the younger boy walked around Peach towards the door. "It would be tough alone, right?"

"Alone?" Marth turned around, with a mysterious smirk. "Who do you think you're talking to?" He slid the door open, his blue eyes gleaming ominously.

Link held up a hand to wave half-heartedly. "Come back soon."

…

_Peach? Peach. You've gotten a fever again. You don't need to do housework and overexert yourself._

_Peach, you just be yourself, and take things slowly. You'll overtake them someday._

Her mother's soft voice echoed in Peach's mind as she wearily opened her eyes. In front of her, her mother's portrait was propped up, with not even a single scratch on it. She sat up quickly, and took the picture in her hands.

"Mother! How come..."

"Good morning!" Peach looked up to see Marth standing outside of the house, smiling gently at her, holding two bags. "How are you feeling?"

Peach could only stutter in shock.

"I think I was able to dig out all of your belongings. Could you check them?" Marth set the bags down in front of her.

"Noroi-kun, don't tell me that you went through all that dirt by yourself!"

He chuckled lightly. "Don't be silly!"

"Huh? Then how...?"

Marth gave her a mystifying smirk. "It's a secret."

Peach could only stand in front of him, clutching her mother's portrait in wonder.

"It's a messy house... And only guys live here, but there's a room on the second floor. Until the remodeling is finished, you can stay here."

She shook her head furiously, squeezing her eyes shut. "T-That won't do! I-I must object to that!"

Marth calmly regarded her. "There is a lock on the door, if that's what you-"

"That's not what I meant!"Peach cried, still violently shaking her head, "It's just that... How will I say this?!"

"Peach-kun, do you like housework?" Link appeared seemingly out of nowhere beside Peach, and she jumped in shock. "For example... Cooking, cleaning, and so on?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Welcome to the House of Noroi!"Link cried, his eyes squeezed shut from having such a large grin on his face. "We'll put your stuff upstairs. Ah, Marth-kun, lend her a change of clothes, will you?"

"Y-You mustn't! Not only did you care for me, now you're giving me a room too? I'd be putting you through too much trouble!"

"Peach-san, we're doing this because we wanted to,"Marth said, turning around to face her. "Besides, you have nowhere else to go, correct?"

"R-Right... Even so, you should tell me the rules or customs you have here in the House of Noroi-"

"Don't worry about that. Peach-san, you just be yourself, and take things slowly."

Her mother's words came to her again in a rush.

_Peach, you just be yourself, and take things slowly._

…

"So, are you okay with this? Having a girl live with us, I mean?"Link asked Marth as they walked through the forest.

"Up until now you were overjoyed. It'll be alright. As long as neither of us get hugged."

They didn't notice the other boy standing on a tree branch above them, smirking.

…

_Before I'd realized what happened, things have gone forward. It feels like a dream... But then again... I'm even borrowing clothes..._

Peach blushed. She was wearing Marth's clothes! They were a bit big on her, and she had to roll the sleeves up, but it was the consideration that counted. She stood behind Marth in the room that she was to be staying in for the time being.

"Sure enough, because this room hasn't been used in a while, it's gotten a bit moldy. It's best to open the window up a bit for ventilation,"Marth sighed, opening the window.

Peach looked up, startled. A creaking noise sounded right above them. Suddenly, the roof collapsed, creating a hole in the ceiling, and a boy about Marth's age crouched in the center of it. It seemed that it was him that caused the roof to break.

He had tousled, dark blue hair, and ice blue eyes. His mouth lifted up in a smirk, and although he smiled perfectly fine, his canines were a bit sharper, almost like a cat or dog.

"Yo! Are you ready for me to break your neck?"he growled, facing Marth, dusting the dust off of his black shirt. "Prince of Rats..."

Marth slowly turned around, leaning against the windowsill. "Why don't you just give it up already? You _are _weak, after all..."

"Y-You! If you think I'm the same as I was a little while ago, you've underestimated me! Today is the day I smash that egotistical nose of yours!" The boy lunged for Marth.

"Wait!"Peach cried, and rushed forward. While doing so, she slipped on a piece of wood that lay in her way, and fell, grabbing onto the nearest thing.

She wrapped her arms around the boy, and in a puff of dark blue smoke, he was gone.

Link peered through the door. "Marth-kun, I just heard a terrific noise. Has Ike come by?"

"Forgive me! Are you alri-"Peach cried, holding her hands up. She made a strangled noise of shock. In the boy's place was... A silver-blue cat! A silver-blue cat with ice blue eyes! "Ah! He turned into a cat! He turned into a cat just because I bumped into him!"she shrieked.

"No, um-"Link grumbled.

"He turned into a cat because I bumped into him wrong! To the hospital! We must get him to the doc-"

A loose piece of wood from the roof came tumbling down onto Peach's head, causing her to fall into Marth and Link's arms.

Two more puffs of smoke ensued, one yellow and one silver. In Marth and Link's places stood a yellow dog and a silver rat with blue eyes. The three animals looked equally embarrassed and nervous.

Peach stumbled back, holding her head.

_Mother! This is terrible! Everyone... Is turning into animals!_

__**So, in Japan, they use suffixes after names, like a nickname almost. Peach refers to Marth as Noroi-kun, using his last name rather than his first. Peach is often called, Peach-san, and so on. Link will often be called by his regular name, since he is the oldest, supposedly.  
**

**In Japanese, _noroi_ means "curse". _Onkei_ means "blessed".  
**

**Hope you enjoyed! A review would be nice...  
**

**- Psychic Prince  
**


	2. The Noroi Curse

**Hey there! Wow... This chapter is probably the longest thing I've ever written... Anyhow, I don't own anything! Enjoy!**

Peach stumbled down the stairs, with the yellow dog following, the rat on his head, the silver-blue cat still hanging in her arms. She slowly sank onto her knees on the smooth wooden floors in pure astonishment, letting the cat go.

"Ah, for the love of-! No excuse will work now since you guys changed too!" Peach whipped around to see the cat arching its back, hissing, every hair on his back standing up on end.

"You are the one that changed first. Stupid cat." The small silver rat glared icily at the cat, pointing a tiny paw at him.

"S-Stupid cat?! Go ahead and try saying that again to my face!"

"Stupid cat."

"Why you jerk!" The cat looked just about ready to pounce on the rat in his fury.

"Cut it out, you two!"the dog barked calmly, nearly throwing the rat off of his head as he did so.

_They can even speak the human language...!_

Peach faintly stared at them. The cat was spitting and hissing again.

"Rather than lie to you and poorly cover this up, I'll tell you the truth,"the dog sighed. "Peach-kun, to make it simple, it all comes down to that while I'm year of the Dog, I have the spirit of the Dog possessing me. Marth-kun has the Rat, while... Well, Ike Noroi has the spirit of the Cat possessing him, although the Cat is not part of the zodiac."

She wonderingly gazed at the three animals. "Spirits?"

"Yes. In the House of Noroi, for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, the curse has been passed on from generation to generation." From the top of the dog, or rather, Link's head, Marth, the rat, turned away as his cousin continued to speak.

Peach blinked in surprise.

"And so when we are in a weak state, or, for some reason, we are embraced in any way by the opposite gender, it's enough to cause us to transform into animals of the zodiac. After a certain amount of time, we return to our normal forms. However..."

A puff of yellow, then silver, then dark blue smoke arose, and Peach shrieked in shock, turning away quickly and hiding her burning face in her hands.

An annoyed Ike crouched in the smoke, while a sheepish Link and an emotionless Marth stood.

"... We'll be completely undressed."

…

"Ah, I'm sorry you had to see something as unpleasant as that,"Link apologized, in his full clothing now. Ike sat scowling outside on the porch, while Link and Marth calmly sat at the low table across from Peach.

"I-I'm okay... Although I think I'm beginning to grasp the information..."

_I have learned an incredible secret. The members of the Noroi family could turn into animals of the zodiac... Noroi-kun didn't wish for this to be known... So that's why he thrust away that girl who tried to embrace him._

Link leaned forward. "Say, Peach-kun, you said that you've wanted to be the Cat, right?"

"Huh? Y-Yes."

"Well, now that you've actually met one, what do you think?" Link pointed an index finger at Ike.

_That's right! That person... Is the Cat!_

"But Ike is such a fool!"Link chuckled, waving a hand, "How could someone with that much knowledge of the martial arts be taken from behind so easily?" Marth's eyes were closed as he listened to his cousin ramble, his eyebrows furrowed. "How embarrassing! At least he should've been able to read your presence! Honestly, that boy can't see anything but Marth-kun!"

Ike stood abruptly, his eyes burning with anger. "Don't make it sound so funny! I just didn't see her! And what's a girl doing in this house anyways?!"he snarled, pointing an accusing finger at Peach.

"Shut it!"Marth huffed, his eyes still closed, "Whether there is a girl in this house or not is irrelevant to you." He ran a hand through his bangs, opening his eyes, "You _are _an outsider, after all."

"You shut up!"Ike roared, bringing a hand down onto the table, breaking it into halves. One part bumped into Peach's forehead, making it bleed slightly. She simply blinked in surprise.

"Peach-kun, you're bleeding!"Link called.

"Wha-?! Bleeding?"Peach cried, tentatively touching her forehead.

Marth promptly slapped Ike in the face with the backside of his hand almost carelessly, an expression of calm anger on his face.

"Tsk. I knew he was a fool, but I didn't know that Ike-kun was this bad,"Link twittered disapprovingly.

"Because of your idiocy, I will actually try and take you on today like I mean it,"Marth murmured in a dangerously cool tone of voice. Ike rubbed his cheek, hate lighting in his eyes. "Don't you bore me." He unbuttoned the first button of his clean white shirt daintily, smirking.

"Fine, you girly-boy!"Ike roared, throwing a punch at Marth.

"N-Noroi-kun!"Peach exclaimed.

"Ah, don't worry about them. Whenever those two see each other, all they do is fight." Link dabbed at Peach's forehead with a small cotton ball before sticking a bandage onto her wound.

Ike kept attempting punches at Marth's face, but he dodged every one gracefully, the smirk still evident on his face.

"Um, well, but we have to stop them!"Peach said worriedly.

"This will be settled soon enough anyways..."

After dodging another ruthless kick from Ike, Marth swooped in, putting his nose right in front of Ike's. In a swift motion, he extended one leg, sending Ike flying, breaking the sliding door in the process. Marth's leg remained at about a one-hundred and twenty degree angle before lowering it and turning to gaze at Ike in an almost bored way.

"I thought I told you not to bore me."

"H-He went flying..."Peach choked out.

"Marth-kun, don't go smashing the house up too..." Link was smiling a bit sheepishly.

Marth observed the sliding doors. "I didn't expect for him to go flying that far... Perhaps his guard didn't cut it." Letting out a faint gasp, he bent down in front of Peach. "Peach-san, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine!" Peach waved her hands in front of her. "But... What about him?"

Ike still lay sprawled out in the middle of the grass, and he just began to make an attempt at getting up.

"Ah. I bet he's alright... Most likely."

"Peach-san, looking at Ike, your dreams about the Cat must be shattered,"Link said sympathetically.

"N-Not at all!"

Ike crouched, face burning, until he got up completely and sprinted into the forest.

Peach glanced at Marth, who was calmly yet coldly staring in Ike's direction.

_I've made yet another discovery today. I never knew that the boy we called the Prince was so strong... We knew that he was good at all sports in general, but this is entirely different. There was a gap between this and school..._

"School!"Peach shrieked. "I-I'm going to be t-tardy!" She scrambled around until her uniform was on, and was about to leave with her pocketbook.

"But your uniform is filthy,"Link piped up. "You were trying to dig around in the dirt just yesterday, remember?"

"I-I'll just say that I fell down!"

"Nah, that wouldn't work..."

Peach hung her head in worry. "I'll just wash my clothes at school! I hope the washing machine is open in Home Economics..."

"Don't worry. But before anything else, you'll have to let me inform Sheik-san about this..." Link thoughtfully tapped a finger to his chin. Marth glanced up, slight panic lighting in his eyes.

"Sheik-san?"

"Mm. She's the head of the House of Noroi."

"The family... Head? Then she must be important,"Peach said, blinking. Marth stared at the ground, his fists clenched.

"Yup. And the Noroi's greatest secret has just been found out, after all,"Link chirped matter-of-factly.

"I see. Well, I'm off." Peach bowed slightly to Link, then left for school.

After she'd gone, Marth said darkly, "I thought you were just going on and on about us. You were just going to erase her memories anyway, then. Like that time long ago..."

"That's not my intention. It's Sheik-san's decision, not mine." Link folded his arms, leaning against the wall.

"I'm going to school,"Marth growled, and left to change into his uniform.

…

At school, Peach bumped into Samus and Zelda after she'd finished washing her clothes at school.

Samus looked a bit disapproving. "The Prince-san also came late today,"she mused, running her fingers through her long blond hair, "The Prince Marth club is getting suspicious."

_I didn't dare tell Samus and Zelda, who care so much about me, that I was staying at Noroi-kun's house. _

"I-I'm going to change my clothes in the locker room,"Peach said hastily, and went to go change.

…

Just as Peach came out of the girl's locker room, she heard a soft voice.

"Peach-san."

"N-Noroi-kun?"

Marth stood in front of her, wearing his black uniform, a concerned expression on his face. "You haven't said anything, right? To your friends... About us?"

For some reason, those words made Peach's heart flutter a bit. "No, I haven't... By some chance, am I making you uneasy?!"she cried, raising a fist into the air, "I would never! Mother told me that only bad people are gossipy about others!"

Marth calmly raised a hand. "No, that's not it-"

Peach continued her rant, her fist still raised, "I give you my oath! I'll seal it in blood, or burn it into my skin! I'll do anything!" Marth blinked in surprise. "Mother used to do this a long time ago-"

"That's not what I mean!" Marth walked forward, making Peach walk backwards into a wall. He firmly planted his hands near both sides of Peach's head. Marth didn't meet her gaze. In a sense, she was trapped. "I'm sorry. You're trying so hard and kindly to keep our secret, but instead, you may have your memories erased. A long time ago, the secret got out. When I was seven years old, I was playing in the yard of my parent's house. In the end, it created such a fuss that every child that saw me transform had to have their memories erased..."

"_Sheik? Am I strange? Strange enough so that you have to hide this so desperately?"_

_Marth, a mere seven-year-old, stood outside the closed window of Sheik's room, staring wide-eyed at the shadow that moved slightly at the sound of his voice._

_He saw Sheik nod, and she spoke in a cold voice. "Mm-hmm. You are strange. Any human that has the ability to transform into a rat must be strange. If the normal people knew about this, it would sicken them. They will distance themselves from you..."_

"Noroi-kun?" Peach stared into Marth's blank eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Mm..." Marth continued to stare at the floor. "I cannot go against what Sheik decides. Whatever she determines, I can't do anything about it. That's why... I'm sorry!" He brushed past her, walking away.

"Um, wait!"Peach cried, reaching out. She grasped Marth's arm, and impulsively pulled him towards her.

In a puff of silver smoke, Marth disappeared, leaving only empty clothes in the place where he once stood. In the pile of clothes crouched a rat, his eyes closed.

Peach crouched on the floor, pulling at her hair in stress. "I'm so sorry! That wasn't- That wasn't on purpose! I'm such a fool!"

"It's alright... Nobody saw me,"the rat said in Marth's gentle voice.

"R-Right..." Peach reached down and scooped Marth up in her hands and held him there carefully. "Thank you for being so concerned about me. I'm very happy, and I'll be alright. It's no problem. If I've found out a secret so big that the head of the family must know of it, then I don't think they're is much to be done."

With wide blue eyes, the small rodent stared up at Peach in wonder.

"Please, use whatever methods that will give you and the others the most peace of mind, Noroi-kun."

_Forgetting about this does make me a bit sad. But, I'm very happy that they accepted me unconditionally. So, I can deal with it._

"After my memory gets erased, please be my friend again, okay?" Peach smiled at Marth warmly.

There was another sudden puff of silver smoke, and Peach gasped in shock and embarrassment, quickly turning away from Marth, her face beet-red.

"Sorry. The time it takes to return back to normal is... Irregular,"Marth apologized, slipping his school uniform back on.

"I-It's... Nothing..."Peach stuttered, still blushing furiously.

Marth turned around, his white necktie a crumpled mess, and smiled slightly.

Peach giggled. "Noroi-kun, your necktie is crooked."

He looked down sheepishly. "Ah. I'm not very good at these sort of things..."

"I wouldn't have expected that from you,"Peach giggled, reaching over to adjust Marth's necktie.

A blush immediately spread across Marth's usually pale cheeks.

"_If the normal people knew about this, it would sicken them. They will distance themselves from you..."_

"Peach-san... Don't you feel sickened?"

"No! Thanks to you, I feel completely better!"Peach cried, breaking away from Marth. His necktie was now straight, thanks to her.

"That's not what I meant..."

"Hm?" Peach stared innocently up at him.

Marth let out a small breath, and smiled at her again. "Today... How about we go home together?"

"Okay!"

"_Please be my friend again, okay?"_

As they went down the hall, Marth murmured to Peach, "Thank you."

"No problem! Tying neckties is one of the things I'm good at!"

Marth let out a small chuckle, and Peach did too.

…

Link kneeled on both knees beside a young, lean girl with straight blond hair. Her eyes were a strange red, and they held an expression of icy calm. She sat, looking out into a garden, with grass blowing in the breeze and willow trees swaying. On her index finger perched a small white bird, and she wore a traditional Japanese robe. They were in a Japanese-style home, the sliding doors open, letting the breeze in. Link was kneeling on the hard, wooden floors, listening intently to the girl.

"I will put my trust in this... Peach-san. For Marth... For Ike... And for myself as well... This may be a good opportunity..."she murmured. Her voice was silky, but underneath that, there was a dangerous tone, like venom.

She lifted her finger slightly, and the bird flapped its wings.

…

"I'm home!"

"We just got home!"

Marth opened the door to Link's tidy office, only to find it empty. "Link? He's gone out..."

"I'm going to put my bag away, okay?"Peach called, climbing up the stairs.

"Mm."

Peach opened the door to her room, only to find Ike standing atop a ladder, taping something to the ceiling. He noticed her, and came down, gripping the roll of tape in his fist and glaring at her.

"U-Umm..."

"It's just a temporary thing, alright? Call a professional later and have him fix it,"Ike growled, his back turned towards her, "It's fine as long as you're out of the rain, right?"

"Y-Yes..."

_Now that I've met the Cat... It seems as though he thoroughly dislikes me..._

"Hey!"

"Y-Yes?!"

"I... I can't see what's really around me when I lose my temper. I didn't have enough training!" Ike's fist clenched around the roll of tape in frustration. "And I lost to that Rat again... And... About this morning..." It seemed like he was struggling to say the next words. "I apologi-"

"I'm home! Marth-kun! Peach-kun! I just got back!" Link's voice echoed throughout the house. "You too, you idiotic, bungling, lost-another-fight Ike-kun!"

"Never mind!"Ike snarled, and stormed out of the room, Peach following hastily behind.

"Um, Ike-kun-!"Peach started as Ike stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him. "Ah..."

"Don't worry. Ike-kun will come back soon. He has nowhere else to go anyways,"Link called to Peach. "Peach-kun, do you have a moment?"

"Y-Yes..."

…

"I've just been to Sheik-san's place." Link seriously gazed at Marth and Peach, who were sitting side by side across from Link at the low table. "She said that as long as Peach-kun keeps our secret, she can continue living with us."

"So... No punishment, then?"Peach asked hopefully.

"Punishment? As long as you keep our secret, it will be fine."

Peach clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closing her eyes and sighing in relief.

_Terrific! I will not have to lose my memory!_

During that time, Marth was gazing at Peach, his mind spinning.

Link got up, and Marth followed and stopped him a little ways outside the door. "Link?"

He turned around slightly, listening to his younger cousin speak.

"Isn't this too good to be true? Sheik wouldn't be planning something, would she?"

"I wonder... Let's just trust Sheik-san about this, alright?"Link said hastily, turning around to fully face Marth and waving his hand as if shaking it off. "Things will be okay."

Peach appeared from around the corner, smiling. "Thank you for all of your trouble!"she said sincerely, bowing deeply.

Link grinned, and Marth blushed lightly. "No problem..."

_Mother, I have come to stay at the Noroi's house..._

…

The next morning, Peach and Marth stood in the kitchen. She wore a plain white shirt and a skirt. He wore a white Chinese-styled shirt that had red buttons on the right side of his chest with navy blue pants. Peach looked flabbergasted, while Marth appeared to be a bit sheepish.

The kitchen was, simply put, a mess. Dirty dishes were piled up high in the dirtied sink. Garbage covered nearly every square inch of the floor, and garbage bags were piled up on top of that. Flies swarmed everywhere. It was like the Mother of all Messes.

Peach stared only for a moment more before folding her sleeves up and grinning determinedly. "With the kitchen this awful, I'm going to keep my fighting spirit up!"

Marth turned to look at her. "I'll help. What can I do?"

Link peeked his head through the door. "I'd stop right there. Marth is so maladroit, he can't even properly fold a simple paper crane! He'll just slow you down."

"It's no problem! Just leave it to me! I'm more than happy to do housework in return for free rent... That's why at times like these, I want to be of most service!"

"Well then, we'll leave you to it!"Link chirped. "I need to go grab Ike and go somewhere. We'll be back in the afternoon."

"Okay! That will be fine!"

Marth gave her a small smile. "Well, in that case, maybe I'll go out for a bit as well."

"Okay! All of you come back soon!"Peach exclaimed.

Moments later, Peach put an apron on and tied a handkerchief to her head. She stared blankly at the horrid kitchen before her.

"This really is awful... I will do my best!"

Peach began with taking out the garbage bags, taking them two at a time. There were quite a lot, and it took several turns to finally clear the floor. She then worked on the dishes, promptly lathering them in thick soap and rinsing them until they sparkled and shone. Mopping the dirty floor was also tedious, but Peach scrubbed them until she could nearly see her reflection. During the whole job, she sang to herself.

Later on, a rice cooker was steaming, the dishes drying on a rack, and the whole kitchen sparkling clean.

"Whew! Done!"

At that moment, Marth peered in. "Incredible! It's amazing that you could make a kitchen as nasty as this one so clean!" He noticed the rice cooker and looked astonished. "We had a rice cooker in this house?"

"I unearthed it,"Peach sighed proudly. "Lunch is ready!"

…

_There was something wonderful about it. Here I was, facing Noroi-kun, and sharing a meal with him..._

"Um, you stepped out earlier for a bit. Did you go shopping?"

"Ah, no. I have a secret base in the backyard..." Marth looked up from his rice bowl.

"Secret base? A secret base! It's making my heart pound!"Peach cried excitedly.

Marth seemed a bit exasperated. "I think it's different from what you're imagining right now... If you wish, you can come along next time."

"Really?! Thank you! A secret base..."Peach sighed dreamily.

Suddenly the sliding door slammed open, and Ike stormed in, an aura of fury surrounding him. Link followed, trying to reason with him in vain.

"Look! Just listen to what I'm trying to say, Ike!"

"Shut up!"Ike snarled, stomping away, "Do you enjoy rolling people around in the palm of your hand?!"

"Now listen here! It's for your own good!"Link protested, "It's what Sheik-san has decided, and that's that!"

"Cram it! Who cares about that imbecile Sheik?!"

"Um, Ike-kun, would you like some lunch-"Peach started.

"Not hungry!"he roared, and left, slamming yet another door behind him.

"Ike! Don't take this out on Peach-kun!"Link called, anger edging is voice. "And next time, come in through the front door! And take your shoes off too!" Link took one of his shoes off in the process.

"Link, you're in no position to argue,"Marth pointed out softly.

"This is the first time I've ever seen you wear a suit, and I find it most befitting,"Peach said, admiring Link's black suit thoroughly.

"It is? I thought so..."Link chuckled. "Oh, the food is ready?"

He sat down at the front of the table, grinning.

"What about Ike-kun...?"

"Oh, him? Just leave him alone. I tricked him into taking the transfer student entrance exam! What I mean is, Ike-kun will now be going to the same school as you guys. He'll also be living together with us!"

Immediately, an aura of fury filled the room. It all seemed to be generating from Marth. He stood abruptly, towering over Link menacingly.

"What. Did. You. Say."

Link looked a bit sheepish. "I figured that you'd be angry, and sure enough..." He turned to Peach. "Ike, you see, disappeared for about four months. I'm told that he's been training up in the mountains."

Peach looked confused. "Training...?"

Marth appeared to have calmed down and sat down once again, an ambivalent expression on his face. "Training such as being beaten upon by waterfalls and dueling with bears?"

Link scratched his head. "Mm, well, I suppose... You see, Ike-kun wants so badly to beat Marth-kun."

Marth simply looked down, his face expressionless. "He's an idiot."

_Is it so that Ike-kun wants so badly to beat Noroi-kun? Is it indeed like the zodiac fables, where the Cat resents the Rat for tricking him? I somehow get the feeling it's not fair to Ike-kun to be asking that, though..._

…

A crowd of students were gathered around Ike. They were giggling and interrogating him.

"Say, are you really Noroi-kun's cousin?"

"Do you get along well with him?"

Two girls leaned in closer, and Ike leaned back, tense, his blue hair standing straight up like a frightened cat.

"Ike-kun is getting scared..."Peach sighed.

"Their vibes are the same..."Zelda murmured. Peach glanced at her friend wonderingly. "That kid and Marth Noroi have the same vibes... Different from a normal person's... What presence is it?"

Peach gulped.

Marth happened to walk by, and Samus stopped him. "Say, is that guy really your cousin?"

He turned around slightly, a slight smirk evident on his face. "We may be cousins, but we are not close. I've never spoken to him in my entire life."

"Hold on! Where are you going?" Another girl's voice caught Peach's attention.

Ike was stalking away from the crowd. A girl suddenly reached forward and grabbed his arm, and his eyes flared with fury and fear. He wrenched his arm from her grasp, and twisted it, pressing her to the floor upon instinct.

"Ike-kun-!"Peach called as the crowd started shouting and coming closer.

"Leave me alone!"Ike roared, opening a window nearby. With the agility of a cat, he leaped from the window, landing on his hands and feet, also very much like a cat. He got up, and raced away.

"No way!"

"I wouldn't expect less from Noroi-kun's cousin!"

"But this is the second floor! He jumped from the second floor!"

Samus laughed beside Peach. "Who jumps down like that? He's not a cat, is he?"she joked.

Marth, who stood near the door, turned his back on the crowd. He closed his eyes almost sadly, and stepped lightly out of the classroom, gently closing the door behind him.

Peach was still staring at Ike running away.

_Mother, Ike-kun is indeed the Cat. I wonder if I can ever become friends with him... _

**Yay! I got chapter 2 done!  
**

**I'll try to get chapter 3 up as soon as I can!  
**

**Reviews are VERY nice and appreciated! Pretty please?  
**

**- Psychic  
**


	3. Opposite Desires

**Hey there! Here's chapter 3! Yay! Hm... I should learn to add more humor into my fanfics... I'll work on it! I don't own anything, of course... I don't own SSBB, although that would be cool, and I don't own the _Fruits Basket _idea either... :D**** Enjoy!  
**

Ike sat, panting, along the side of the school walls.

"Hey..."

Without looking up, Ike scowled. He would know that effeminate voice anywhere, anytime.

"How about you use your head a little bit more before taking action?" Marth stood in front of him, his arms crossed. He looked at Ike contemptuously. "When you make a fool of yourself, it puts me out."

"Are you in your right mind? Going to a school like this... With girls bounding around everywhere?!" Ike stared at the ground.

"Living in fear of transforming is far better than living like I'm in hiding and going to that all-boys school that Sheik wanted me to go to,"Marth muttered. "I wanted to get out of the Noroi cage, even if just for a little bit." He turned his head and closed his eyes as he said so.

Ike lifted his head up to glare at his cousin. "You could a Rat like you understand?" Peach came running around the corner as he began to yell at Marth. "I will win! I will win against you! I will win against you, and become a formal member of the Noroi family! I won't stand to be shunned any longer!"Ike hissed, standing up and confronting Marth. Suddenly, he pushed Marth against the wall and held him by his shirt collar, the black fabric clenched in his fist. "I will win!"

Peach gasped. "You mustn't!" She leaped at Ike, and as she wrapped her arms around him, he disappeared in a puff of dark blue smoke. All was silent for a moment, and a silver-blue cat stood in the place of Ike, his clothes on the floor. "I'm so sorry! It's understandable why you're angry, but you mustn't fight! You must not! After all, if you fight at school, there is much that goes against you...!"

Ike arched his back, the hairs on his back standing up. "Just cram it, would you?!"he snarled, "Whether it goes against me or not, as long as I beat him, nothing else matters! Stay out of the way! Who the heck do you think you are?! You're nasty to even look at!"

At that moment, both Ike and Marth knew that he let his temper go a little too far. Peach's face paled, and she stood up, walking away, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"He hates me. Now he completely hates me." She soon rounded the corner, leaving Marth and Ike alone.

"You really are an idiot." Marth scowled at Ike.

"Aren't you going to hit me?"

"There are times when it hurts even more like that, you know,"Marth murmured, narrowing his eyes. He shook his head, and walked away.

…

_Whenever I think of how, high in the mountaintops, while God and the twelve animals were enjoying their banquet, the Cat went to bed, dreaming about the banquet that would not be held tomorrow._

"_I've made up my mind! I will give up the Dog, and become the Cat!"_

_I truly meant what I said. Tears really did come forth. I was so avid, if there were a Cat Fan Club, I would certainly have joined it. And yet, to be hated by him... I'm a fool. I really am a fool, Mother..._

…

"And so you skipped out on school and came home, just like that?"

Link looked up from his paperwork to peer at Ike, who lay stretched out on the porch.

"I want to just leave this house,"Ike growled.

"It's only been three days. Think of it as training, and put up with it."

"I say nothing but horrible things... To her..." Ike stared up at the sky meaninglessly.

"To her? You mean Peach-kun?" Link tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Ah. You yelled at her with the same tone you usually use, correct? If you feel this bad about it, you shouldn't yell in the first place, you know,"Link said, "What a wretched temperament."

Ike's jaw clenched. "It's no use. I'm just not cut out for living with and associating with people."

"There are people like that, but in your case, it just comes from not having enough experience with other people. For example, you can break a table in half with just one fist, but you can also make that fist stop just before breaking the table. That's because you can control how much power you're putting on your fist, right? That's why your were successful in fighting bears out there-"

Ike sat up, hissing, "I didn't fight them!"

"It's the same thing. Although this training isn't in the mountains, it has to be done in the city, where people live. Although you have a black belt in martial arts, you still have a white belt in socializing and understanding others..." Link looked up to see Marth opening the door.

"I'm home."

"Ah. Where's Peach-kun?" Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Ike slip away.

"Working. She says she'll be home around eleven. I was thinking of picking her up,"Marth said.

"You should do that. It's unsafe for her to be walking home that late."

…

_I worked a full day today. I wonder if everyone is asleep..._

"_You're nasty to even look at!"_

Ike's words echoed throughout Peach's mind. She shuddered.

A rustle came from the bushes behind Peach as she walked through the forest, and, scared, she instinctively swung around and struck out with her pocketbook, hitting someone square in the face.

It was Ike.

He slowly turned around, about to walk back.

"U-Um, just a moment! That was just... A practice swing! I just happened to get lucky today! Ah, let's see... Ike-kun, did you like school today?"she rambled. Now, Peach could clearly tell that Ike was annoyed. "Ike-kun...?"

"What do you want?"

Peach smiled. "Never mind..."

"Don't call on me without a reason!"Ike roared.

"R-Right!"Peach cried frantically.

Ike slapped a hand to his face. "I mean... It's okay... And... If I do anything that upsets you... Just hit me like you did just now..."

_Could this mean... He's trying to apologize for what happened earlier today?_

"Ahem... I wasn't mad at you! I just mistook you for a robber or stalker or something...!"

"What...?"

"Quite the contrary! I... Like you!"Peach cried.

Ike's face flushed, and his eyes widened.

"That is, I like the Cat from the zodiac! I just want to become friends!"

Turning away quickly, Ike muttered, still blushing furiously, "Let's hurry up and get home."

_I've begun to understand Ike-kun a little bit more. Even though he may seem socially awkward, he's a good person deep inside..._

…

As they were eating breakfast, Link said, "You know, Ike-kun did say he was going to pick Peach-kun up all by himself..." He started singing a bit. "Ike-kun, you pervert!"

Ike snapped furiously, "How do you figure that?! Yesterday was special! It won't happen again!"

"Right. I'm just glad that you're having your meal,"Peach chirped.

Ike glanced over at Marth, and started, annoyed. "What?!"

Marth was staring at him intently, his blue eyes narrowed. "Nothing."

"You were looking at me!"

"Only looking, right?"

"Why are you looking at me for no reason?" Ike suspiciously pointed his chopsticks at his cousin.

Peach looked confused. "Do you not like it?"

Ike pounded his fist on the table. "I hate it!"

Marth sipped his tea with a cold calm, while Link sat happily enjoying the meal. Peach looked shocked at Ike's outburst, and Ike himself appeared to be a bit sheepish.

…

At school, during free time, Peach held up a stack of cards. "Let's play 'Rich Man, Poor Man'!"

"Why don't you tell Marth to? That darn Marth!" Ike scowled in his seat.

Samus got in Ike's face. "If you're running away from a fight, then you're no man! How pathetic!"

Ike stood up abruptly, his blue hair spiking up like an angry cat's. "I accept your challenge to this fight! You're going to be sorry, Samus!"

"Why should I? Whoever loses has to take on the cleaning chores for everyone!"Samus challenged, smirking.

Zelda's eyes were closed. "What a pleasant storm of vibes..."

"Let's invite Noroi-kun, too! Where do you suppose he's gone?"Peach asked earnestly.

…

Marth stood in front of a girl, who was looking up at him admiringly.

He murmured, "Sorry. Right now, I don't feel like seeing anybody, so I have to-"

"No! I don't want to hear it!"the girl cried dramatically, "Marth-kun!"

She fell forward, about to hug him. Marth hastily caught her head in his hands, before their chests could meet and he would turn into a rat.

"I, uh..."

"Marth-kun, you are nice... But there is something about you that rejects others." Marth let go of the girl's head, and she stared at him in disbelief. "Everyone says so! 'Marth-kun is so special', they say! 'An ordinary girl isn't enough to match up with Marth-kun'!"

As she ran down the hall, away from him, Marth stood still, his eyes wide.

He returned to the classroom, where Ike and the others were playing cards.

They argued, had a good time... As Marth watched, he realized how much Ike fit in. How well the others got along with him, despite his hot temper. Marth slipped away from the classroom, sorrow lighting in his eyes.

"_Marth-kun, there is something about you that rejects others!"_

…

"'Rich Man, Poor Man', huh? I know the rules, but I've never played." Marth softly spoke to Peach as Ike scurried around behind them, mopping and cleaning the classroom.

"Really? Next time, let's play it together!"Peach suggested, smiling brightly.

Marth smirked. "So, Ike was the 'Poor Man' today, huh?"

"Um, we'll help you clean!"Peach offered, peering at Ike.

"No! My loss is my loss! But next time, I'll win for sure!"Ike growled, stopping his cleaning for a moment to speak. He whipped around, and pointed his index finger at Marth's face. "And next time, I'll beat you too!"

Marth looked slightly exasperated as he murmured, "Don't you get tired of always saying that?"

"It's my objective to win against you!"Ike hissed.

"And to have you keep badgering me with your annoyance! My misfortune!"

"Your attitude of looking down of others makes me sick!"

"Your overly simplistic way of thinking makes me sick."

_They're fighting again... Just like the Cat and the Rat... Come to think of it..._

"_I will win against you, and become a member of the Noroi family!"_

_Does this mean... That if Ike-kun beats Noroi-kun... Then he will be allowed in the zodiac? That would be wonderful!_

"Darn you! I'll pulverize you!"Ike snarled at an ambivalent Marth.

_However, fighting won't do at all..._

"Ah, Ike-kun..."

"Prepare yourself, you cold-blooded Rat!"Ike roared, throwing the mop away and aiming a punch at Marth's face.

Again, Marth dodged, but this time, it was over much faster. Marth simply, yet ruthlessly, kicked Ike in the face, then stared down at him in contempt.

"Just looking at you gets on my nerves!"he hissed coldly, and left, his fists clenched.

"Why can't I beat him?"Ike growled, holding his head, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Huh. Today's move was particularly rough... He must be in a bad mood."

…

_As much as Noroi-kun is considerate towards others, he may be the kind of person who keeps his feelings bottled up inside of him. _

As Peach was leaving to go home from work, she heard some of the other employee's gossip.

"Guess what? There's this incredibly good-looking kid outside! I wonder, is it a girl or a boy?"one said.

"Oh, how very lowbrow!"the other giggled, and they both laughed.

Peach's ears perked up. "Could that be...?"

Sure enough, Marth stood outside, gazing at the stars above. Instead of the school uniform, he wore a white, Chinese-styled shirt with red buttons and black pants. It seemed that he never wore shorts or short sleeves, and his clothes seemed usually pretty form-fitting.

"Hey there! What are hard worker you are!"Marth greeted her.

"D-Did you come all the way here just to pick me up?"Peach asked, touched.

"Mm-hmm. This is a dangerous time for girls, after all."

"Thank you so much! Noroi-kun, both you and Ike-kun are very kind!" Peach smiled warmly.

Marth looked down, and Peach thought she caught a trace of weariness and hurt in his eyes. "Well, shall we get going?" Without saying anything else, he started to lead the way.

"N-Noroi-kun!" Peach stopped Marth. "Um, if there's anything gloomy weighing down on your mind, please tell me about it, okay?" Marth looked at her, his eyes wide. "They say when you have a bad dream, it helps to tell someone about it. So if I'm okay with you, and if you want to stamp that gloom out, I won't m-"

Out of nowhere, a few men jostled around them, making Peach fall into Marth's expectant arms. Yet again, a cloud of silver smoke appeared, and in Marth's place stood the rat amongst a pile of his clothes.

"Perhaps I'm just adding to your gloom instead..."Peach croaked, kneeling before the rat.

Marth looked down. "No. It's my fault for having this horrid nature about me."

Nonetheless, they began the walk home together, Peach holding Marth's clothes, while Marth walked beside her on his hind paws. Actually, he was keeping up quite well.

"When I was at my parent's house, it was like I was in a cage, watched upon by the main house and Sheik. I was surrounded by ordinary people, and longed for an ordinary life. That's why I left the house and began attending a coed high school. However, as it turns out, I haven't left that cage at all. I'm still living in a Noroi's house, and I can't associate with others very well. It's not that I... Mean to reject others, it's just that there's something about me that's awkward." Marth stopped walking, and stared at his small, furry paw. "And since I'm like this, I can't escape my feelings of inferiority, or of my being frightened. But Ike is different. He may be a bit frightened at first, but I think once you get to know him, he's the type of person that draws others in. Even if he cannot be a part of the zodiac, I think it's better for him to naturally be able to get along with the ordinary people. I wanted to be like that too. That's why it gets on my nerves. Whenever I see how much Ike wants to become part of the Norois... I wonder what it is about me that makes me want to leave so badly..."

"Noroi-kun, you have the power to draw others in too..."Peach murmured, looking down on the small, disheartened rat. His ears were flattened up against his head, and his eyes were filled with discontentment and hurt. "So many girls say that they like you, and that you're nice."

Marth dismissed this. "I'm only being nice so that they would like me. It's as if I'm giving them candy because I want to be part of their circle of friends. I'm only being nice for my own sake... Perhaps I'm being hypocritical..."

"So-" A crash of thunder sounded, and rain suddenly poured down on the two, beating hard against their heads, wetting Peach's hair and soaking Marth's fur. "T-That was sudden... There was nothing in the forecast about it..."

In another explosion of silver smoke, Marth turned back into a human. Peach shrieked, and Marth's pale face flushed momentarily, although he frantically looked at the storm, and seemed distant.

"This is terrible!"he cried, putting a hand to his soaked blue hair, almost completely forgetting that he had absolutely no clothes on and was in Peach's presence.

…

"Noroi-kun!"Peach called, trying to keep up with Marth as he firmly walked against the storm. "Where are we going?!"

Marth had quickly put his clothes back on, and now they were walking quickly through the forest. They came upon a small vegetable garden.

"A farm?"

"It's more like a family vegetable garden,"Marth explained quickly.

"Noroi-kun, this is your doing?"

"Mm. This is my secret base."

"This is wonderful! I get it now! You have to protect your secret base from the harsh wind and rain, right?" Peach gazed at the rows of greenery before her in wonder. "I'll do whatever I can to help!"

"Peach-san, you really are kind,"Marth sighed, smiling, letting a tarp roll out over the garden.

"Ah? Really? This is the first time I've ever had anyone say that to me! I'm so happy! Ah! But what if I'm being hypocritical, and-!"

"No, Peach-san, I think it's in your nature,"Marth reassured her gently.

Peach held the tarp down so that the plants would be safer. "My mother said that it's better to believe than to doubt. People aren't born with kindness, you know, she would say. Kindness is something that develops, like our bodies, and the heart that grows inside is like our conscience, she'd say." Marth gazed at Peach with wide eyes. "That's why it takes on different forms, depending on the person... Noroi-kun, your kindness is like a candle. Your light shines so brightly, yet gently... When it does, I become so happy, and want to smile. Ah... I must be weird, comparing you to a candle." Peach blushed slightly.

Marth's face was flushing a dark red by now. "No, it's just that... I'm pretty pathetic." He looked down, his eyes veiled by his bangs. "Here I am, a guy, yet the way I was going on about everything..."

"But I'm happy that you did. Noroi-kun, for you to tell me so many things about yourself... I feel that we are getting along much better!"

Marth's face was still flushed, but he smiled warmly at Peach. The tarp flew into her face as she lessened her grip on it, and she set it back down with a little struggle.

"I'm so sorry! I will continue to help protect the base!"she cried.

The rain passed soon, and Peach raised her arms in victory.

"We defended the base to the last!"

"Yes, but we came out pretty ragged..."Marth sighed. He was right. Peach's long, blond hair was in tangles, and his own hair was almost as messy as Ike's. They were soaking wet, and Marth's white shirt came out with dirt smudges.

"Is anything ready to be harvested?"Peach asked eagerly as Marth bent down to observe the garden.

"Mm... Perhaps the leeks are ready to be eaten,"Marth murmured.

_Leeks... Leeks..._

"Peach-san." She turned around as Marth spoke up. "Next time, I'll give 'Rich Man, Poor Man' a try."

"That is good! But, I thought you didn't like it..."

"Mm. It's just that it's noisy. But I will give it a try, nonetheless." He stood up, a few leeks in his hands. "Little by little, I will try to get along with others better."

"That's very good! Everyone will be delighted!"Peach sighed dreamily, clasping her hands over her chest.

"I'm not going to give in!" Marth leaned in towards Peach, and smiled brightly.

_I get the feeling that this is the first time I've actually seen Noroi-kun really smile._

…

"Thank you for waiting!"Peach said brightly as she set a plate of leeks at the table for the meal.

Ike looked disgusted and aghast. "I hate leeks!"

"And not just leeks. He hates onions and miso too..."Link added, peering out from behind a newspaper.

"If the miso is in the miso soup, it's no problem,"Ike sniffed.

"I'm so sorry! I will fix another dish right away, okay?" Peach looked up at Ike worriedly.

Twirling his chopsticks in the air, Marth leaped forward and grabbed Ike's nose. He took his chopsticks, and stuffed a load of leeks into Ike's mouth. "Eat!" Link and Peach were shocked, and so was Ike.

_Maybe I can't do much about them fighting, but could there be something about Ike-kun that appeals to Noroi-kun? Perhaps if they understood each other, they would get along better... Somehow, that's scary too!_

**Whoop! Another long-ish chapter from me!**

**Please leave a review!  
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**I'll update ASAP! I (solemnly) promise!  
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**- Psychic  
**


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